Broward's Ten Most Historic Concerts

Broward County is just over a hundred years old. In that time, there have been a lot of humdingers and hootenannies. There have also been monumental concerts. Some featured unforgettable musical legends at the heights of their careers; others featured titans who were not much longer for this world. Broward County concerts were also ground zero for the birth of the music festival and a First Amendment battle. Here are the ten most historic Broward County concerts.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

10. Marilyn Manson at Sunrise Musical Theater, May 12, 1995. Before Marilyn Manson's shock rock antics were outraging the rest of America, the Fort Lauderdale product caused controversy in his hometown. At a '95 show at Sunrise Musical Theater, Marilyn Manson was arrested and charged with exposure of sexual organs for pulling down his metallic jock strap onstage.

Courtesy of Lynyrd Skynyrd

9. Lynyrd Skynyrd at Hollywood Sportatorium, October 15, 1977. One of the last concerts with the original lineup of the southern rock staple behind "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Freebird" was at the Hollywood Sportatorium. The Pembroke Pines arena saw many of your favorite classic rock bands in its confines from 1970 until it closed in 1988. The Skynyrd show was notable because it was one of the last chances to see the band's definitive lineup. The band's plane crashed five days later, killing three of its members.

Photo by Stephen Luff / Flickr

8. David Bowie at the Chili Pepper, October 8, 1997. At the site that now houses Revolution Live, Ziggy Stardust played his longest ever show. It wasn't quite five years, but at three-and-a-half hours and over three sets covering 36 songs, it deserved all of its fame.

Photo by Brian Feinzimer

7. Guns N' Roses at Hollywood Sportatorium, November 29, 1987. Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1987, Broward County was introduced to a young band called Guns N' Roses that played nine songs off a debut album titled Appetite for Destruction. They opened for Motley Crue, which apparently wanted to haze the new kids on the block. They increased the pyros that went off during "Welcome to the Jungle," startling the hell out of Axl and company.

Photo by Timothy Norris

6. Paul McCartney at National Car Rental Center, May 18, 2002. McCartney's 36-song set chock full of Beatles songs was memorable enough that many of the songs were featured on his Back in the U.S. concert DVD. But that was not what made this Broward County stay for Sir Paul so memorable. During his two-night stand, McCartney stayed at Turnberry Isle resort and got in an argument with his then-fiancée, Heather Mills, who threw her engagement ring in disgust. After a day of beachcombing, the resort's employees found the ring. The relationship was not as easily salvaged.

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David Rolland is a freelance music writer for New Times Broward-Palm Beach and Miami New Times. His mornings are spent educating his toddler daughter on becoming a music snob. His spare time is spent dabbling in writing fiction and screenplays whose subjects are mostly music snobs.